At the meeting held on 5th April the Chairman, David Cowling, welcomed 41 members and 3 visitors and, after giving apologies and announcing birthdays, mentioned that as the next meeting would be held just before the Coronation we would have a small celebration ourselves. So instead of the usual biscuits there would be “coronation inspired” cake to have with the tea or coffee and he asked that any prizes donated for the raffle followed a red, white or blue theme. Also if members wanted to bring flags or bunting this would be very welcome.
Hampshire Constabulary
Our speaker this month was Jackie Dimmock who gave a talk titled “30 years in Hampshire Constabulary” in which she gave us a flavour of what life was like for a police woman in the early years of her career in 1982. She explained that good team work was vital for the job and how relying on colleagues was essential in order for the force to do a professional job. She enjoyed how every day was different and that when they started work that day they never knew what to expect as almost anything could happen. The downside to this was the danger any police constable could be put in whilst carrying out day to day duties and the resulting injuries which could be sustained. This was, however, all told with a great deal of humour and illustrated throughout with a variety of tapestries and examples of situations she had dealt with.
First Group Outing of the Year
Our first trip of the year was on Monday 20th March when we had a tour of the Houses of Parliament. It meant an early start but we arrived in plenty of time to have a cup of coffee in the café before our tour started at 10.30. All of the staff were very friendly and helpful and our guide had a wealth of knowledge which he imparted to us as we visited both houses and the lobbies. After the visit everyone found different things to do and have lunch before we left for home.
Next Group Outings
On Thursday 27th April there is Afternoon Tea at BCOT which includes sandwiches, cakes and of course tea, all for £11. Then on Thursday 18th May our trip is to Swindon Steam and Designer Outlet and on Thursday 29th June we are going to the beautiful Exbury Gardens which should then be in full bloom. If you would like to join us on any of these trips please let us know.
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be on 3rd May when Colin Pawson will give a talk titled “The Tootler” and on 7th June Tony Stafford will talk about “Bishops, Sex and Money”.
The group meets on the first Wednesday of each month at Brookvale Village Hall from 10am to 12 noon and all retired Civil Servants, their relatives and friends are welcome. Further details about the group and information about our trips can be obtained by contacting – csrfbasingstoke@gmail.com.
— Margaret Atkinson